Retribution
by onetruefirelord
Summary: For Azula, it's always been about perfection. Perfect tactics. Perfect firebending. Perfect revenge. Picks up right after Smoke and Shadow 2.
1. Mai

"Azula."

The cloaked figure removed its mask, revealing flowing black hair and cold golden eyes. "Took you a while, dear Zuzu," came a familiar condescending tone. "Honestly, you were supposed to have figured it out days ago. But then again, you never were the smart one."

"This doesn't make any sense!" shouted Zuko. "Why take such a roundabout way of undermining my rule? How do you get from the Forgotten Valley to this? Who are those other two Kemurikage? This isn't you Azula! This isn't the girl who took Ba Sing Se in days."

Azula shrugged indifferently. "I'm crazy, remember? I guess I'm not really myself when I'm crazy." She flinched and threw an irritated glare over her shoulder before continuing, "But that's not the point. You looked for me for weeks, right? Here I am. Come and catch me."

Azula took advantage of a strong gust of wind behind her to shed her cloak. The billowing piece of clothing combined with the smoke she was generating temporarily blocked their line of sight. By the time Zuko knocked the offending garment away, Azula had jetted down to the streets below. "After her!" he commanded. Suki, Aang, and Ty Lee leapt into action.

The chase led them through Caldera City's financial sector, usually crowded but deserted this night. Five minutes into the pursuit, Zuko began to regret all the sitting he was doing as Fire Lord- it had always been hard keeping up with his sister, and that was while he didn't have all sorts of duties keeping him from regular exercise. Aang and Ty Lee were having a better time- their nimbleness and Aang's glider were allowing them to keep pace.

' _But they should be doing more than keeping pace_ ,' thought Zuko. Aang should be able to fly faster than Azula could run. But despite the generally open air above the streets, Azula's route seemed full of obstacles that impaired the Avatar's airborne advantage. Ty Lee should be more agile than Azula, but it seemed that every turn kept Ty Lee from building any momentum. ' _Just my luck_ ,' groaned Zuko inwardly. ' _Azula would be the one lucky enough to escape pursuit from Aang and Ty Lee._ '

' _No_ ,' he realized.

It wasn't luck. In their childhood, he had always called it luck, but Azula would train for hours after he had called it quits for the day. Azula was meticulous about everything, accounting for every detail. It was just one of the many things Ozai had valued about Azula. She had planned this path specifically because she anticipated being chased. She had anticipated being cornered tonight, which meant...

"Stop!"

Aang halted his chase and looked at Zuko questioningly. "She wanted us to chase her," Zuko answered to the unasked question. "The other two Kemurikage had Kiyi, and Azula used herself to take our attention off them. She's been playing us."

Aang groaned. "This is just like the Day of Black Sun! And we fell for it again!"

Ty Lee ran up to the pair, a disappointed look in her eye. "I lost her," she said sadly. "There was oil in the street, and Azula burned it so I couldn't follow."

Zuko's heart sank. Of all the situations he had expected himself to be in at the start of the day, none could match the dread he felt at being in middle of one of his sister's plans. He flagged down a nearby watch commander and ordered, "Organize the home guard. Mobilize every soldier. My sister is loose in this city, and I want her captured!"

"Aye aye!"

"Come," Zuko said to his companions. "We need to plan."

…

"Well that's great," Mai said. To the unpracticed ear, it would sound like her usual bored tone, but Zuko could tell how much stress Mai was feeling right now. It was probably comparable to the amount he was feeling.

"She took my daughter," Ursa cried, wringing her hands. "She took Kiyi! Do- do you think Azula would hurt my daughter?"

"Azula's your daughter too," Zuko added quietly, clasping his mother's hands in support. They felt unnaturally cold. "No matter what she's done, no matter what she thinks you've done, she's still part of our family."

"She hates me," Ursa lamented. "When she broke into our home in Hira'a, she looked at me with so much hatred. It's because of me that Kiyi's gone, I'm sure of it!"

"Don't worry," Zuko whispered. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Zuko turned his attention to the other people in the room. "Suki, has there been any progress on the search?"

Suki shook her head. "We've established a perimeter around Caldera City, so she's trapped in the city. If she tries to get out, we'll catch her. We're allocating every extra person possible for patrols. They have orders to not engage, only to report sightings."

"Azula studied the city's defenses extensively for the Day of Black Sun," Zuko countered. "She knows more secret passages around the palace and Caldera City than anyone else alive does. The perimeter won't keep her in."

Suki was about to protest, but Zuko held a finger up and continued. "But she'll stay in the city anyways. Too many children were taken- they couldn't have smuggled them all out of the city. So for now, their home base is somewhere in Caldera City. She's confident- she thinks we can't catch her unless she wants to be caught. And without Toph here, she might be right. There is one piece of information though: she was leading us away from wherever her cronies were taking Kiyi, which means that their home base is either in the..."

"Entertainment, industrial, or residential districts," Suki filled in.

That's so helpful," remarked Mai sarcastically. "We'll just go through every single abandoned factory and warehouse. A lot of them have closed since the war ended, by the way. We should probably visit the residential district too- I can think of several nobles who would harbor Azula against you."

Zuko gritted his teeth. "Everybody except Mai, leave the room." Upon seeing the surprised looks, he confirmed, "I mean it!"

Once everyone else had left, Zuko turned to Mai. "Mai, we've known each other a long time. You're being especially passive-aggressive, which means there's something _else_ that's bugging you. Is there anything you would like to share?"

Mai sighed. "When we still thought the spirits were real, my father said that you were to blame for the attacking spirits. And I believed him. But since we know that they aren't real spirits, I guess there's no point in protecting him any more. My father's leading the New Ozai Society. I'm pretty sure he knows where they're keeping the children."

A flame flared up violently between them, and Zuko yelled, "And you didn't think to tell me this before?" When Mai kept silent, he continued, "These people kidnapped Tom-Tom. They tried to have me killed! They've taken Kiyi! They are trying to overthrow me and put my father back on the throne! Why the hell would you keep information like this from me?"

"To protect my family," Mai replied nonchalantly. "Tom-Tom is safe with my father, and I'd prefer if all of my family stayed out of prison."

"You better hope this ends well, because if things go south, there might be more than just your father in prison," Zuko seethed. "If Azula's planning on hurting Tom-Tom, your father's not going to be able to protect him. Now get out, and call everyone else back in."

The argument left an uncomfortable tension in the room, and Zuko wasted no time in passing out new orders to his allies. "Ukano knows where the children are being held. I want him arrested immediately."

…

Well that had turned out badly.

' _The things we do for family_ ,' Mai thought bitterly. She had tried to protect her father, and it had blown up in her face spectacularly. It seemed that her father had not shown her the same courtesy; she was very skeptical that Ukano still thought the Kemurikage were real, which meant that Ukano had lied directly to her face.

She supposed her father couldn't take all the blame. From her own experience at the end of the war, she knew that Azula had a certain ability to persuade people to follow her, even against their own self-interest. If Azula had Ukano wrapped around her clawed fingers, Mai couldn't fault him for not being able to wriggle himself out.

She leaned against the balcony, gazing into the night sky. Despite all the chaos that had made its way into Caldera City, the skyline still managed to seem peaceful. Perhaps with her kidnapping plot exposed, Azula would leave the rest of the children of Caldera City alone, and the peace would be something more than just an illusion.

The illusion was abruptly shattered by an unmistakable eruption of blue flame. Mai scanned the area surrounding the fire for landmarks so that she could triangulate Azula's location, and her conclusion made her fall to her knees in shock. ' _Oh spirits, have mercy._ ' Even though Zuko was still mad at her, he would definitely want to hear this news as fast as possible.

…

Mai sprinted through the streets, tracing a very familiar path from the palace to their destination. With the route ingrained into memory, her mind was allowed to focus on much worse thoughts. ' _Please let them be okay, please let them be okay. If Azula's hurt them, I swear I will gut her before opening her throat. Please let them be okay.'_

Their proximity to their destination was confirmed by screams of panic and crowds running in the opposite direction. Mai rounded the final corner to be hit by a crushing wave of heat, and saw her fears confirmed.

Her aunt's flower shop was burning. Azure fire taunted her, daring her to check on the status of her mother and aunt. She was about to dash into the burning building, but a hand on her shoulder held her back. "You aren't a firebender," came Zuko's voice. "If you get too close, your whole body will end up like my face. Don't worry, Aang and I will do this."

The two men entered the shop, dispersing the flames as they went. Mai fidgeted nervously; Ty Lee embraced her in a tight hug, attempting to calm her down. Suki was trying to coordinate the fire brigade, which seemed to be taking much longer than usual. (The fire brigade got pulled to patrol the streets, one man explained; they had to get back to their station first.)

Finally, Zuko and Aang staggered out, two women leaning on their shoulders. Zuko's eyes locked with her's; he gave a slight nod, and Mai nearly sagged with relief.

Aang and Zuko set the women down at the sidewalk, and Mai dashed over to them. "They aren't hurt," Zuko explained. "Scared out of their minds, yes, but physically hurt, no. We found them in a stone room in the basement; it was the safest place they could have been."

"So they ran in there after Azula started burning down the shop?" Mai asked.

"You'll have to ask them yourself," replied Zuko.

Mai knelt down in front of her mother so that they were at the same eye level. "Mother, can you talk to me right now?" Michi nodded, despite the obvious trembling. "What happened?"

"A-Azula c-came in t-to the shop," Michi started. "She t-told us t-that she w-was there to settle a score. I could tell she w-wanted to kill us, but she told us that somebody wouldn't let her. S-she didn't say who it was."

"You're doing great," Mai said gently. "What happened next?"

Michi's trembling had seemed to die down. "She forced us into the stone room in the basement, told us to stay there if we wanted to be alive for when help got here." Mai clenched her fist; even though this counted as mercy by Azula's standards, her talent for cruelty was unfortunately stellar.

"Anything else?"

At this, Michi seemed to get nervous, breaking eye contact to stare into her lap. "What is it?" Mai asked. "This could be important."

"No, it's not important," Michi denied, although Mai didn't believe her. She turned to Mura, raising an eyebrow expectantly. Her aunt sighed.

"She said that as a price for her mercy" - Mai snorted at the utter lie- "she wanted us to tell you one thing. You must understand, this is her saying it, not us."

"She wanted us to tell you that you are the entire reason this happened."

* * *

A/N:

So Zuko basically sums up how I feel about Azula being behind the events of Smoke and Shadow.

This fic will focus on Azula, but it won't be told from her perspective. The purpose of the fic is to bring the badass chessmaster from the show into Smoke and Shadow.

The length will either be 6 or 7 chapters, hopefully to be finished before Smoke and Shadow 3 comes out.

If the characters feel OOC, please ask me about it; I'm trying to stay true to all of the characters.

Mai's mother and aunt survive because this is AtLA, not Game of Thrones. There's a tiny hint in this chapter about who the "somebody" is.

R&R, F&F!


	2. Ty Lee

"She wanted us to tell you that you are the entire reason this happened."

Mai cracked up.

' _She's lost it_ ,' Zuko thought. This was not good. With all that was happening, he needed Mai's head to be completely in the game. She was one of his best tacticians, one of his best fighters, and someone who had been part of Azula's planning process before. He immediately moved to comfort Mai, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Look, you can't let her get to you."

Mai waved him off. "Don't worry, I haven't gone crazy like _her_. I'm just laughing at the fact that she could think this was anybody's fault but _her's_. The sheer nerve that girl has..." Zuko breathed a sigh of relief.

"To be frank," Mai continued, her voice wobbling, "I don't think I've been angrier in my entire life. Going after enemy combatants is understandable, but this... Zuko, I don't care that she's your sister. I'm going to personally execute her."

"I might not stop you," Zuko replied. "She just crossed the line, and she's got to be held accountable for it."

"Yeah, we just have to catch her first," muttered Suki sullenly.

…

The mood in the restaurant was at once gloomy and angry. Azula's attack on Mai's family had left them all shaken, but eager for payback. Mai's mother and aunt had been sent away from Caldera City with the utmost secrecy- Zuko had offered the palace for them to stay in, but Mai had severe doubts about the palace's safety. Afterword, the team had set up in an abandoned restaurant not far from the flower shop.

"So at least we know what Azula's plan is," began Zuko. "She targeted Ukano, putting him in a position that would likely leave him in jail after all this was over. She kidnapped Tom-Tom and attacked Michi and Mura. It's clear that Mai is her primary target."

"Which makes sense," Mai added. "I was the first to turn on her. She probably still hates me for saving Zuko back at the Boiling Rock."

"With that, we have a sense of who the next target is going to be," continued Zuko. "Ty Lee and I were also there at the Boiling Rock. If she's looking for revenge, she's going to go after one of us next. Unfortunately for her, we won't be so easy to take out. The plan is simple- we separate ourselves to lure her out. When Azula strikes, we hit the signal and stall until help arrives." Since Ty Lee couldn't just send a plume of fire into the sky, Zuko handed Ty Lee a flare to use.

Mai shot a glance at Ty Lee- although a smile was plastered on her face as usual, Mai could tell that Ty Lee was trembling slightly under her armor. "Zuko, I'm going to help Ty Lee prepare," she stated before dragging Ty Lee from the room.

"What is it?" Ty Lee hissed when the two were alone.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Mai asked.

Ty Lee took a deep breath and nodded. "It's like I told you- I can't stop thinking that she's going to appear at any moment to punish us. And it's not just my imagination any more- she's going to attack me, and I don't know if I'll be able to hold it together when she does!"

"Ty Lee, listen to me," commanded Mai, gripping Ty Lee's shoulders tightly. "It's different. Because now you know exactly when she's going to come out. She thinks she's going to have the element of surprise, but she won't. _You will_ , because you know she's coming. You've sparred with Azula more than any other person, and I have complete faith in your ability to take her down."

…

"Did that look weird to you?" asked Zuko, gesturing towards Mai and Ty Lee's exit.

Suki shrugged. "They've had the most experience with Azula's fighting style. Maybe they were going to devise some new tactic that wouldn't be relevant to you since you have firebending."

Zuko nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Where are we with Ukano?"

"No sign of him," Suki said, shaking her head. "He probably went underground when word got out that there was a manhunt for Azula."

Zuko cursed under his breath. "That was probably our best chance for figuring out where the kids are being held. Now we are going to have to gamble on this plan to catch Azula working."

"On that note, I'm going to canvas around," Suki told Zuko. "Someone's got to have seen or heard something useful, if Azula took the time here to burn down an entire building."

"That's a good idea," replied Zuko. "Have the rest of the Kyoshi warriors on full alert. When Azula's attack comes, I want them to get there as soon as possible. They can chi block, right?"

Suki nodded. "Yup. Ty Lee's been running chi blocking drills constantly. I doubt even Azula will be able to fight off a dozen chi blockers at once. We're ready to take down your sister."

Fifteen minutes later, Suki's optimism was wavering. "So you saw... nothing?" The man nodded.

"All I saw was that nice flower shop go up in blue flames, and I ran away as fast as I could. I've heard the stories- if the princess was near, then I didn't want to be anywhere close!"

The story was the same all around. While there had been quite a few people who had seen the initial flames, no one saw a girl leave. ' _Or they are too scared to talk_ ,' thought Suki. With Azula still on the loose, no one wanted to paint a target on their back by ratting out Azula.

It was going to be a long night.

…

' _Deep breaths_ ,' Ty Lee told herself. ' _Deep breaths. You've fought with Azula before, you can do it again. She's only gotten worse since two years ago, so it can't be that hard, right?_ '

A shadow skipped by in the alley across the street, and Ty Lee jerked her head in that direction. There was nothing, but Ty Lee felt her heart start to race nonetheless.

' _Deep breaths_ ,' Ty Lee told herself again. ' _Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths._ '

She pictured Azula sneaking up behind her, claws extending towards her neck...

Ty Lee yelped and turned around. Nothing was there.

' _Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths._ '

It was going to be a long night.

…

Azula watched her quarry make her way through the streets. Her target's armor reminded her of the days before the end of the war, and its role in taking Ba Sing Se. In those days, Mai and Ty Lee had been loyal, her father had valued her, and she'd pulled off the greatest military victory for the Fire Nation since the war began. She hadn't been reduced to hiding out in abandoned buildings, sneaking around her own city disguised as an old fairy tale, and resorting to hit and run tactics.

No matter. Tomorrow night, her plan would come to fruition, and she would be the one sitting on the throne, crown in her hair.

First things first. She had three more objectives for tonight, starting with this Kyoshi warrior.

It was going to be a long night.

…

Ty Lee needed to sit down.

Her armor, while lighter than traditional Fire Nation armor, still managed to feel heavy and constricting. She knew this was no fault of the armor, but rather her continued hyperventilating. ' _There's nothing to be scared of_ ,' she thought to herself. ' _You are the best hand-to-hand fighter in the Kyoshi warriors, you are a badass, Azula won't be able to take you down in time._ '

She remembered the sparring matches where she defeated Azula (these were usually followed by Azula demanding a rematch). She remembered the times that Azula had shown jealousy at Ty Lee's superior acrobatics. Even at her prime, Azula had trouble locking down the agile chi blocker. Ty Lee had only trained more since then, while Azula had spent two years locked in a straightjacket.

' _Yes, you can do this_ ,' thought Ty Lee, a look of determination crossing her face. ' _Alright, Azula, bring it on._ '

As if on cue, Ty Lee saw a flash of blue fire.

…

Suki was about to call it quits when a disheveled looking man walked up to her. "Excuse me. Are you the guard captain? The one asking about the princess?"

"Yup, that's me!" Suki replied. "Do you know something?"

The man nodded in the affirmative. "I live in that apartment building, and I could see a clue from my window! Come, follow me!"

Eager at the first bit of good news in hours, Suki sprinted after the man. "It's this way!" he said, leading Suki through a maze of alleyways. Finally, he stopped at a dead end. Suki looked around in confusion.

"Where's the clue?"

"Oh, that would be me," came a sinister voice behind her.

…

The flash disappeared so quickly that Ty Lee wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not. But sure enough, she saw another flash in the distance moments later. What was strange was that it wasn't near her, and it wasn't near the palace, which was where Zuko was supposed to be. In fact, the fire was near... the flower shop.

"Suki!" Ty Lee cried out in alarm.

…

"I've been looking forward to this moment," Azula drawled. "Taking down the leader of the fangirls is going to be _so_ much fun." She turned to the man standing next to Suki. "You have done your job well. Dismissed."

Suki turned to the man in shock. "It's an honor to serve the Fire Lord," he said, bowing before running from the alley.

"So, shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?" asked Azula, casually examining her fingernails.

"Enough talk. I'm not scared of you!" Suki shouted, drawing her katana and charging at Azula.

To her dismay, two years in the asylum had not had a significant effect on Azula's combat prowess. The princess easily dodged her attacks, weaving in and out while shooting bursts of fire that scorched Suki's armor. One particularly powerful blast pushed Suki off her feet and into a wall, leaving her momentarily dazed.

"Come on, I thought you would put up more of a fight," Azula taunted. "You know, you never personally got payback for my stealing your armor. One would think that, after these years, you would have thought up of something better to use against firebenders than your shoddy weapons."

"Oh, I've got some new tricks up my sleeve, courtesy of your former friend!" Suki shot back. She charged again, this time not using weapons. She drew up close to the princess, leaving Azula without the space to properly aim her fire.

"You're slow," Azula jeered. "How many hours have you been up? Twenty? Twenty-four? You must be getting tired..."

' _I just need one opening_ ,' Suki thought to herself. Each chi blocking strike she tried was parried, although the result was that Azula was too busy defending (and talking) to take the offense. Finally, Azula turned her body too much in order to block an attack to her leg, leaving her left arm exposed. ' _There it is!_ ' thought Suki. The princess didn't adjust to block, so Suki jabbed the princess' bicep.

' _Yes!_ '

Her victory was short lived when pain exploded in her chin and she crumpled to the ground. She was prevented from getting up by a savage kick to her ribs, and a foot pressed against her back. Suki felt dizzy- she was sure that the strike to her chin had given her a concussion.

"Yes, you've picked up some new tricks," Azula hissed in her ear. "I bet Ty Lee's taught you and your fangirls so many new chi blocking kata."

A pinch to her spine rendered her legs numb. "I'm quite familiar with those kata, you know."

Two jabs to her shoulders left her arms useless. "So I know just what you are supposed to do when I leave my flank open. And it leaves _your_ body completely open."

Azula flipped Suki onto her stomach, and straddled her hips. "Shhh, go to sleep," whispered Azula, caressing Suki's cheek. "It'll all be over soon." She lit two fingers like a blowtorch, and lowered the flames to Suki's chest.

Suki's vision had gotten blurry, and as the world faded around her, the last thing she heard was Azula was arguing with someone. "What do you mean I can't kill her? First Mai's mother, now her? Stop telling me what to do!"

…

Ty Lee ran back to the flower shop as fast as her legs could carry her. When she arrived, there was no sign of Suki anywhere. She frantically ran up to a group of bystanders, yelling, "Where did the Kyoshi warrior who was here go?" One of the bystanders pointed her in the direction of an alleyway.

At the entrance to the alleyway, Ty Lee was hit by the stench of scorched metal, and she immediately knew that she was in the right place. Following her nose, she turned several corners until she saw the sight she had been dreading. Under a street lamp lay an unmoving Suki, the marks of a fierce battle all around her.

Scorched into her chestplate was Ty Lee's name.

* * *

A/N:

Any guesses on Azula's next target?


	3. Ozai

Zuko knows something's gone wrong the second he sees Ty Lee's flare go up. The group had planned their locations in such a way so that the Kyoshi warriors could arrive at either place in under two minutes. So when Zuko sees Ty Lee's flare go up in a spot ten minutes away, he wonders whether Azula hasn't gotten the best of them again.

He arrives at the burned down flower shop eight minutes later, Kyoshi warriors in tow. Ty Lee must have gone looking for Suki, he realizes. This should be good news- it must mean that Azula attacked while the two were together, and Azula shouldn't be able to take on both of them at once. But there's something unsettling about this picture.

Then he realizes it. The strange thing is that there's no sign of a fight anywhere. In fact, all the bystanders acting like nothing's happened is a sign that there _wasn't_ a fight here. Their confusion is only remedied by one helpful commoner who sees his companions and tells them, "Are you looking for the other two Kyoshi warriors? They went into that alley over there." That makes Zuko's heart sink.

Azula likes to lure her enemies into bad locations- he felt that first hand when he and Iroh walked straight into a nest of Dai Li. Suki and Ty Lee should know better to go into unfamiliar territory, away from the eyes of anyone who can raise an alert. Zuko enters the alley, and just like with Ty Lee minutes earlier, they only need to follow the scent of burned metal to find Ty Lee crouched over Suki's body.

"She's still breathing," Ty Lee informs them when they come into sight. Zuko lets go of a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. Suki was only in this whole mess because of him- no tradition stated that the purpose of the Kyoshi warriors was to guard the Fire Lord. If Suki had been killed while serving him, the one who had commanded the burning of Kyoshi Island, he didn't know how he would get past it.

"Get her to the palace and fetch a healer," is his command.

…

Ty Lee's debriefing is a lot less helpful than he had hoped. Apparently she had only arrived at the scene after Suki had already been defeated. Any new intel on Azula will have to wait until after Suki wakes up.

Ty Lee's angry- angrier than he's ever seen her. Unlike Mai, Ty Lee wears her emotions on her sleeve- it's clear to everyone just how infuriated Ty Lee is that Azula went after Suki to get to her. Mai has promised to take down Azula personally, but she may have some stiff competition in the acrobat. (If Azula continues to be as cruel in her attacks as she has been, there will be quite a few people wanting to make the final strike.)

The fact that Azula attacked Suki instead of him and Ty Lee throws a wrench in their calculations. The motive for the attack is burned right into Suki's chestplate, which means that Mai is not the primary target, but rather the first. Mai turned on her first, Ty Lee turned on her second. If Azula's going in order, then the next people on the list should be him and Katara. And Azula's not going at her targets directly, but rather targeting the loved ones of her targets...

Zuko gives a glance towards Aang. If there's a loved one of Katara around, it's the Avatar. He feels like Azula shouldn't be able to take on Aang, which means his present worry should be on which of _his_ loved ones will be attacked. His thoughts fly to Kiyi- was she it? He's not sure, which is when he realizes that Kiyi is not the loved one of his that Azula has planned. Azula had left a message for both Mai and Ty Lee singling them out- there's no doubt that she will leave a similar message for Zuko. Ursa would be the perfect choice, Zuko realizes.

Zuko speaks his musings to the group, and they agree that Ursa should be put under heavy guard immediately. Zuko refuses to let Ursa leave the palace, although Mai points out that Azula could easily enter the palace undetected through the secret passageways. It's a risk they'll have to take.

Aang leaves to watch over Ursa. With the two together, Azula will be forced to go where they have the advantage. Although Zuko is hesitant to make it a guarantee that his mother will end up in the line of fire, he can't argue with the logic.

Azula's surprise factor is dwindling, Zuko thinks. It's all of them against her, and time is their friend, Azula's enemy.

But when Katara and Sokka turn the corner, acting like Zuko expected them to be there, Zuko is reminded again that they cannot fathom what Azula's planning for them.

…

Katara embraces him in a warm hug, and Zuko is almost too stunned to return the hug. "Katara! What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Katara asks. "I got your note." From her satchel, she produces a piece of parchment, complete with the Fire Lord's stamp. 'Come as soon as you can,' the note reads. 'Azula is loose in the city.'

Zuko takes a deep breath, and sits down. He can't allow himself to panic. "Katara, it's a really long story, but I didn't send that." Zuko tells Katara all about recent events- the curfew, Azula attacking Mai's mother and aunt, and the attack on Suki. "She's been taking revenge on everyone who helped take her down," Zuko explains. "The fact that she lured you here is only a bad thing."

Katara shakes her head. "No, it's a good thing. If you remember, I was the one who finally took her down in the first place. And I'm going to help you take her down again. Azula's bitten off more than she can chew by getting me here."

"Yeah, yeah, let's get to the important thing," Sokka butts in. "Where's Suki?"

...

Katara gently lowers the glowing bubble of water over Suki's head. The effect is immediate, as Suki stirs and slowly opens her eyes. "Azula!" she shouts, quickly shooting to an upright position.

Her friends restrain her. "Don't worry, you're safe," says Zuko soothingly. "What happened?"

Suki thinks back. "I was asking around about Azula the the flower shop. I was about to give up when a man came up to me saying there was a clue in the alleyway. But I think he was in the New Ozai Society- he led me straight into an ambush and called her the Fire Lord. Azula attacked me and beat me."

"Zuko, there's something you need to know," she continues. "Right before I fell unconscious, I heard Azula arguing with someone, but I couldn't see who. Azula wanted to kill me, but that person wasn't letting her. Azula's not calling the shots. Somebody has her on a leash."

"That corroborates with what my mother told me," Mai adds. "Apparently, there was 'somebody' who wanted to make sure my mother and aunt didn't die in that fire."

"We need to reevaluate," Zuko says. "We've been working under the assumption that Azula is the mastermind."

"Well, who would it be if not Azula?" Aang questions.

"Well, who might be leading the New _Ozai_ Society?" Sokka answers. "It's obvious in hindsight. These personal attacks are to achieve a larger end- she knew that, by revealing herself to you, you would start a massive manhunt..."

"...using every available soldier..." continued Mai.

"...including the guards at the prison!" finished Zuko. "We were waiting for Azula to attack the palace! But all this was a diversion! She's going to free Ozai!"

...

"There's just one thing to consider," sysa Sokka as the group made its way to the prison. "if Suki was part of the distraction to get us away from the prison, then Ozai would still be in prison when Suki was attacked. So who was Azula listening to in that alleyway?"

Nobody has an answer. For better or worse, Ozai was the only person Azula ever took orders from. They're still thinking about this question when they reach the gates of the prison. There's only a token guard there tonight, due to the manhunt for Azula. The guards that are there salute the Fire Lord, asking what brings him there this time at night.

"I'm here to see my father," is the reply, to which the guard responds that it had been pretty quiet. (Of course, it had been quiet in Ba Sing Se up until the Five Generals got captured.)

"We'll escort you to your father," says the warden. Zuko mutters under his breath that Ozai shouldn't count as his father, but only Mai hears. Entering the prison, Zuko takes the path he had taken many times before finding his mother. There's a feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach, the same feeling he had when they made their way through those twisting alleyways earlier that night. If Ozai is missing from his cell, then his worst fears will have come true.

Zuko should have been more specific about his orders. When he had every available man drafted into the manhunt, he should have made sure the prison was excluded from his order. The prison had the highest number of trained and armed men in one place ready to go- whoever had executed his order probably had men pulled from the prison first thing.

But they really went overboard, Zuko thinks. He's passed by cell after cell, hallway after hallway, and there's no guards here. To his left, the warden looks uncomfortable, and Zuko confronts him about it. "I told my second in command to join the manhunt and take some guards with him," he explains, "but I certainly didn't authorize him taking this many. We should have passed at least three guards by now."

That's why Sokka, on a hunch, checks a supply closet that they just passed. When two unconscious guards topple out, Zuko feels like he's going to be sick. If the faces on his friends are any indication, they feel the same. There's a mad dash to Ozai's cell, and as Zuko turns the corner, he sees that the door's been left open. Oh spirits, his father's escaped, and he's left an unconscious guard behind him in his cell.

No, that's not right. That's not the body of a firebender who trains regularly, but the body of a nonbender without access to varied cuisine. Zuko creeps up slowly to the motionless body, grabs it by the shoulder, and turns it over. It's his father, and Zuko recoils in shock. The last time he'd seen Ozai, his face had been unmarked.

Now the left side of his face has been melted off.

So many thoughts run through Zuko's head. This attack isn't like the attacks on Mai's family or on Suki- nobody particularly cares about his deposed father. The scar makes it seem like this was targeted towards him, but Azula knows that there's no love lost between him and his father.

There's also the thought that they've read Azula wrong yet again. Ozai clearly isn't the leader here, so who is?

Ozai begins to stir, and Zuko hopes he'll be more forthcoming with answers than he was when he first came down here to ask about his mother.

* * *

A/N:

So much for New Ozai Society.


	4. Ursa

"Now why does this seem so familiar?" jeers Ozai. "My son, who couldn't find his mother, now can't find his sister. I would question your competency, if I weren't already completely convinced of its nonexistence."

It hasn't even been two minutes and Zuko's already regretting having Katara heal Ozai's wound. He knows from experience that Ozai won't be able to give up anything until his burns have been treated. He had hoped that Ozai would be more cooperative after the gesture, considering that Azula's just melted half his face off. Instead, it seems like it's done the opposite.

"Don't you want to get back at Azula for this? She's done to you what you did to me! She's shamed you!" It's evident to everyone present that Zuko's frustration is spilling through, and they can see that Ozai's enjoying this.

"And why would I hold that against her?" Ozai asks. "I lost to a twelve year old boy. I am no longer a firebender. You have no idea how much I deserved this." Zuko's spent the whole night trying to figure out what's going on in Azula's head, and trying to figure out Ozai's logic is just making his headache works.

"Are you saying you are _glad_ that Azula burned you?"

"Need I repeat myself?" Ozai answers sarcastically. "Suffering is a teacher. You yourself are proof. Even though it pains me to admit it, scarring you was part of the reason you became Fire Lord. Are you not glad I scarred you?"

Zuko looks like he's about to throttle his father, and that when Mai pulls Zuko from the cell. There's only one person in there getting what he wants, and it's not Zuko. "We have to approach this differently," she suggests. "You had two years of interrogation to learn that just talking to him doesn't work. One of the many things I've learned from Azula is that people like that only respond to shows of strength."

"Are you suggesting I torture him?" That's something Ozai would do, and Zuko would rot in hell before he becomes his father. He's disappointed, but not surprised, when Mai responds in the affirmative. "No. I won't do it."

"Then you're as soft as your mother!" shouts Ozai from his cell. Apparently they haven't moved out of earshot. "You're weak, which makes your nation weak. You are the worst Fire Lord to take the throne in centuries!"

Mai sighs. She can see exactly what Ozai's play is, and Zuko's falling for it spectacularly. She's running options through her head, all the while Zuko's gone back inside to have a screaming match about what it means to be a good Fire Lord. Finally, she clears her throat, drawing the attention of both men. "If you won't do it, I'll do it," she says, throwing a glare at Zuko as if daring him to contradict her.

"Ha!" laughs Ozai. "Zuko, I'm disappointed! One would think you would have learned a thing our two after hanging out with her and your sister for so long!"

"But," he continues, "I'm only going to talk if _he's_ the one wielding the knife."

"THAT'S IT!" Zuko yells, picking up his father and throwing him into the wall. "All my life, you have talked to me like I was worthless." He punches Ozai in the jaw and his father slumps to the ground. "I tried so hard to make myself worthy of you." He kicks Ozai in the stomach. "But how could I, when your system is so completely fucked up?"

Ozai cackles on the ground. Propping himself up on his elbows, he spits out blood and groans, "Very good. _Very good._ You are the Fire Lord. Your word is law. Take what is yours!"

Zuko's hands flare, and Ozai starts to clap. "You've learned your lesson well, son. Let me reward you with a story."

…

 _Ozai's meditating when he hears a commotion outside of his cell. He slides up against the door, pressing his ear to the cold metal. There's whispers of a manhunt, but Ozai can't hear who it's for. No matter- there's only one person Zuko would give such an honor to. Two of his three guards run off, leaving only one left._

 _Ozai resumes meditating. He doesn't know how much time's gone by when his meditation is interrupted by a loud thud against the door. He hears a sliding sound, a door creaking open, and then that door creaking shut. Whoever is out there has hidden his guard in a closet._

 _The viewing hole to his cell slides open, and it confirms his guess as to the cause of the manhunt. Standing there, a cruel smirk of determination on her face, is Azula. "Hello, father," she greets._

" _Daughter."_

 _It's obvious that Azula is not here for a friendly chat. Ozai knows it, and Azula knows that he knows it. Ozai's just wondering if she's here for information, or if she's here to break him out. So he waits for Azula to get to the point. But Azula for her part seems content to twiddle her thumbs, as if she weren't deep in hostile territory. Finally he bites._

" _I take it the New Ozai Society is your brainchild then?" Little news reaches his cell, but it would be impossible for him to miss chatter about this new group of armed revolutionaries. He's quite flattered about it actually._

" _It was a side effect," Azula shrugs. There's a pause, and Ozai can only conclude that Azula doesn't intend on letting him in on her plan. If Azula wants to play this game with him, he's willing to do so; after all, he's the one who taught her how to play._

" _And the light manpower at the prison tonight is your doing?" Azula doesn't say anything, which means yes. "It was a well-crafted plan," he compliments._

" _You taught me well," Azula returns. After a moment, she asks, "Would you like to come out?"_

 _There it is. Azula has told him that she hadn't completely intended for the New Ozai Society to be formed, which meant that she might not necessarily be looking to install him as leader. But he hears the door creak open, and Azula's standing there with a blue flame in her right hand, illuminating the dark hallway. She extends out her left hand, and he takes it._

 _There's an explosion of pain in his face as Azula thrusts with her right hand. "You've taught me so many things so well, father," she continues. "You taught me to throw aside all useless things, no matter how useful they were before. You taught me to punish those who try to make you look weak. You taught me that someone with such pathetic firebending could never deserve to be Fire Lord." From outside the cell, they can hear the sounds of running footsteps, and Azula snorts that her brother's early. Ozai's teetering into unconsciousness at this point, and Azula presses a kiss against the good side of his face before whispering, "You'll stall them for me, won't you?"_

…

As Ozai finishes his story, Zuko resists the urge to scar the other side of his face. This was all a stall tactic? While lives were at stake? He makes to rush out of the cell, but Ozai's booming voice commands, "It's too late to stop whatever Azula intended to do right now. You shall stay here, son, if you wish to know what she wants to do after."

It's cold logic, Zuko thinks, but Mai seems to give him a sign that staying is the better choice. Damn her and her training in this twisted game. "She wanted you to come to the jail, son, but I was not the main objective. Why?"

Zuko's stumped, so Mai answers for him. "She's clearly going after Zuko's mother. We were waiting to take Azula out at the palace, and now we aren't. We didn't need you to tell us that." Zuko can only restrain his panic because Mai seems so nonchalant about it. His mother is in danger, and Mai is talking to his father like she doesn't care. He knows it's a show, but it still bothers him.

"So what can you tell us?" continues Mai.

"You clearly know that she's going to go after you and your waterbender after this, right?"

Zuko nods. "Yes, she's going after Ursa to get at me, and she's going after the Avatar to get at Katara."

"No," Ozai replies. "The nature of her vendetta against you is different. She intends to deal with you two personally to make up for her direct defeat. Now run along, son, and play Fire Lord. With how you've been performing so far, you won't be wearing the crown much longer."

…

It's been a while since Ursa has had a good night's sleep, and that streak wasn't going to be broken tonight. Between Kiyi's kidnapping and the Avatar barging into her room, she wasn't ever going to get to sleep, even if Zuko commanded her to (telling her there was nothing she could contribute to the hunt). Zuko's been reticent with information all night. Ursa can only imagine what Azula's done, and her mind's filling in the blanks with the worst possible cases. Her son thinks he's sparing her the pain, but that's just not the case at all.

Ursa sighs and lies down on her bed. Normally, when she's this restless, she's prone to wander the halls of the palace, but the guards won't let her out of her room tonight. It's for her safety, they say, with the unspoken admission that if Azula wants her, they won't be able to stop her daughter.

The sun's starting to peek out from the horizon at this point. For a people who profess to rise with the sun, night has always carried connotations of danger and terror. Azula has certainly used the night to her advantage. But she's not sure how the conventional wisdom applies when the one spreading such fear is also a firebender. Azula's bending will serve her in day just as well as her craftiness served her at night.

A breeze flutters through the room, which is odd because Ursa was sure that she closed the window last night. Azula can't be here, would she? Ursa freezes in place, slowly glancing around the room. If Azula's snuck in while Ursa wasn't paying attention, then there's not very many places to hide. Finally, confident that she is alone, Ursa moves to close the window.

That's when she sees the note left on the windowsill. Ursa gasps in surprise, and looks from the balcony to see a shadowy figure making its way out of the palace. Ursa isn't sure whether to be relieved or terrified- Azula has shown that Ursa can be reached, but leaving a note is hardly the most damaging thing she could have done.

Ursa reads the note. It's a mess- whole sections have been crossed out, as if Azula could not make up her mind what to write. But the last sentence is all she needs to read. 'Come alone to the place you first showed us _Love Amongst the Dragons_. If you tell anyone, the guards will know, and Kiyi dies.'

Azula could have had her throat cut in the middle of the night without lifting a finger, and her son would never have seen it coming. But the realization that her guards don't work for Zuko is only the second most shocking thing about the note. Unfortunately, Ursa was never the tactician that Ozai and Azula were, so her only option is to walk into the obvious trap.

…

Zuko's really tired. He's chased Azula, then run to the flower shop, then run to the alley behind the flower shop, then the prison, and now back to the palace. He hasn't gotten a wink of sleep in the meantime, and if Azula's done something to his mother, he won't be getting any sleep for a while. This is just out of Azula's playbook, Aang tells him; when Azula was pursuing them across the Earth Kingdom, she made sure they were completely sleep deprived by the time the final fight happened. Zuko remembers what happened at the end of that chase: despite all of them cornering his sister, she still managed to wound one of them and escape unscathed. It's an ending that Zuko really hopes doesn't repeat itself.

The guards posted outside Ursa's room are missing, and the door's been left shut. He kicks down the door to find both guards unconscious, bumps on the backs of their heads, a smashed vase lying between them the obvious culprit. The panic Zuko feels is only mitigated by him subconsciously knowing that this was going to happen.

Zuko's also confused- only Ursa would need a vase to take out two guards. The motive is clear when Mai shows him a note that's been left on the bed. "Azula tricked her," Mai explains. "These guards were loyal, but Azula tricked your mother into knocking them out in her escape."

Zuko snatches the note. "We finally have a solid lead," he tells his friends after he's read it. "She's at the abandoned Caldera City Playhouse."

* * *

A/N:

Next two chapters are the final confrontation. There may be a seventh after that, I'm not sure yet.

Fire Nation royal family logic is really fun to write, because it's so messed up.


	5. Katara

Years ago, his uncle Iroh had commanded him to take Azula down. Back then, despite his wealth of life experiences, Zuko had not yet reached the traditional age of adulthood. The thought of actually _killing_ his sister, ending the threat permanently, had not crossed his mind. But he's an adult now, and the Fire Lord.

Zuko is beginning to wonder if death is what Iroh had in mind. He had the option to, after the war ended; it was not unprecedented for freshly crowned Fire Lords (even those that history remembers as benevolent) to execute political prisoners as a show of strength and to consolidate rule. If tonight goes badly for him, then Zuko will end up being the textbook case of why such a practice was so common. His critics call him weak, and the fact that critics dare to call him anything at all also makes him appear weak. Future history books would write about how he knowingly bungled handling his sister, a known rival for the throne.

It is not an option for tonight to end poorly.

But can he end his sister?

Zuko can barely remember a time when Azula did not seek to best him at every turn. They used to get along when Azula was very little, but that was probably because Azula did not understand the concept of malice. Ever since Azula started to firebend, she developed a competitive streak, seeking stronger and stronger opponents. First her tutors, then notable firebending masters, then Long Feng, then the Avatar. Somehow she always made room to compete with him, even when he wanted no part and had already been left in the dust.

Zuko's in the minority. Azula certainly would have ended him if she had won. Ending his sister is what Ozai, Azulon, and Sozin would have done in Zuko's position. Zuko really hopes he can separate himself from them. He's the face of a new wave of reform in the Fire Nation, one that seeks to share peacefully instead of imposing its will. Executing Azula, following precedent, is not the way to show this. But will he have the choice? Compromise is sometimes necessary. He can't bring about reforms unless he's still reigning Fire Lord when this is all over.

Zuko decides that, if he really really has absolutely no other choice, then killing his sister is something that he could do.

…

The Caldera City Playhouse is a very special place for Azula. Not because it was the first place that Ursa took Azula to see _Love Amongst the Dragons;_ no, his sister never cared for the performance arts. Rather, this was the first place that Azula had bent fire. Zuko remembers feeling jealousy- how was it fair that he was still struggling with his basic forms, while Azula was already bending fire at age three? Zuko had complained about this to his mother, who immediately told him to be quiet, and that he should not mention a word of this to his father. Zuko didn't listen. During dinner that night, Azula had flung a pea at him, and he had lost his temper.

His father took her under her wing after that.

It's since been shut down. There had been a royal decree after he had been banished; apparently Azula had requested it, and Ozai saw no reason not to acquiesce. His mother had been shocked at the news when he first relayed it back in Hira'a; she had later expressed hope for reopening it after she had settled back down in Caldera City.

There's not much to reopen right now, honestly. The banner that once proudly displayed the theatre's name looks like it's hanging on by a nail. The whole building hasn't been maintained in years- nobody had wanted to buy the land, so it's been sitting here untouched. A perfect place to hide kidnapped children.

Zuko glances at his companions. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Mai, Ty Lee, Suki, and a whole regiment of Kyoshi warriors should be enough to take down Azula by sheer numbers, no matter what she has planned for them in there. The Avatar gives him a nod- it's time to go.

The whole building creaks heinously when they enter, so there's simply no avoiding making a ruckus if they want to get to Zuko's mother. Luckily, it doesn't seem like they would've had the element of surprise anyway- two cloaked figures in Kemurikage masks stand imposingly in the atrium.

"She's waiting for you," one of them tells the group. Despite their rather terrifying costumes, the voice is high-pitched, one of a young girl, one he might expect from a Kyoshi warrior.

"Be very careful," the other one adds. "What happens in there will determine the rightful Fire Lord."

"We have not decided our support," the first one finishes. "We have helped bring about this juncture so that we may choose."

With that, the two disappear in a plume of smoke, leaving the door to the main stage unguarded. When they walk in, Zuko's relieved to see his mother off to the side, unharmed but cowed into submission. The setting is one immediately familiar to Zuko- Azula has meticulously recreated the Agni Kai arena, complete with a replica of the throne on which she is currently lounging. Ozai's prediction seems to be completely on point: it looks like Azula intends to kill him and Katara here to make up for the Agni Kai two years ago. But he won't get baited into a solo duel this time.

"We're giving you one chance, Azula!" Zuko shouts. "Stand down and tell us where you've taken the children. You can't beat all of us!" Even in their sleep-deprived states, their numbers should easily take the win. Water, fans, fire, knives, swords are drawn in preparation for a fight.

Azula strokes her chin as if in deep thought. "Hmm... no." All of them move to attack, but Azula continues to talk. "And if you act like that, you'll never find out where the children are."

Zuko reluctantly snuffs his fire, and his companions follow. "It's simple," Azula says as she rises from the throne. "There are men with orders to kill all the children. They are in a location not close to here so you certainly won't be able to find in time even if you ran off right now." She descends the stairs and slides right up to Zuko. "If I don't send them a message ordering them off, the children die."

There's a collective gasp of shock. Azula using the children as hostages had of course come up as a possibility, but they expected Azula herself to be the watchdog. In that scenario, they could distract or overpower her while getting the kids to safety. Now they have no counterplay. Ursa in particular looks on the verge of fainting. "I don't believe you," Aang counters, ever the one to see the best in people. "You didn't kill Mai's family and you didn't kill Suki. I don't think you want people to die here."

Azula slithers around Zuko's allies until she's facing Aang. "You're wrong," she hisses, jabbing his chest with a sharp fingernail. "Their deaths would have been so much more preferable. But _mother_ ordered me not to."

Zuko's heard many things come from Azula's mouth, and a fair portion of them have been lies. Usually he doesn't catch them until it's too late, but a glance at the look of utter confusion on his mother's face confirms to him that this may be the most blatant lie his sister's ever told. He snorts perhaps too loudly, which draws Azula's attention back to him. "It doesn't matter if you believe me, dear Zuzu."

Her flippant tone turns sinister. "What matters is what you're going to do now. The way I see it, you have two options: take me out right now and let the children die, or let me have my fun."

Azula's fun has never been fun.

"Could you do it?" she mocks. "Could you sacrifice a pack of children to ensure your rule?"

"I'd be stupid if I thought you had any intention of holding up that end of the deal, Azula." Based on the events of tonight, Zuko can see his sister killing Kiyi and Tom-Tom anyways just to inflict more pain.

Azula merely shrugs in response. "You're right, you would be stupid to – WILL YOU SHUT UP?"

The sharp and unexpected increase in volume makes all of them jump on their feet in alarm. Azula, who has spent the entire night terrorizing them, is suddenly screaming at the top of her lungs at the unoccupied throne. "I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK WITH YOUR VOICE IN MY HEAD ALL DAY. AZULA DO THIS. AZULA DO THAT. DON'T DO THAT. DONT'T DO THAT. ALL YOU DO IS BOSS ME AROUND AND LIE. SHUT UP." She ends the tirade with a lightning bolt that destroys the makeshift throne, then turns around, wiping invisible dust off her shoulder like the last thirty seconds never happened. "You're right, you would be stupid to trust me."

There's no reply- they've been stunned into complete silence. Interpreting this as permission to go on, Azula continues to ramble. "But I know how you are, dear brother. You're going to trust me anyways. Because you don't have what it takes to sacrifice some insignificant"- Mai growls at the adjective- "children in order to protect your crown."

"That's just because I'm a decent human being, not some monster!" Zuko yells. It's exactly the wrong choice of words- a wild look crosses her face, and Azula rears back a fist and punches him hard enough to render him unconscious. His friends immediately move into action, but Azula wags a finger. "Insignificant children, remember?"

Azula's pushed their tempers to a boiling point, and she's clearly enjoying every second of it. While they are all glaring at her with clenched fists, she's humming a tune to herself waiting for Zuko to wake up, as if she she had all the time in the world and wasn't holding a flame under a dozen innocent children. After five minutes, he begins to stir, and Azula kneels down to ground level so she can slap his cheeks. "Wake up, brother," she croons. Zuko's glare is murderous.

"Now, as I was saying, before you so _rudely_ interrupted me: you don't have what it takes to be Fire Lord. You must show strength, but you don't have the stomach. Do you think father would have hesitated to sacrifice us if it meant a chance to destroy the Avatar? Your other sister is only holding you back, and will always be a weakness of yours for as long as she lives. All your enemies will know that mother loves to attend plays without a guard present. That your sister plays in the garden, and is prone to get lost. Really, I'd be doing you a favor if I killed them."

Azula's standing too close to him, and Zuko grabs her throat by both hands. Azula merely cackles. "I'm impressed, Zuzu! I really didn't think you had it in you! In fact, I won't even kill any of the children for your outburst!"

It's an uncharacteristic slip for his sister, and one that floods Zuko with relief. He's found an inconsistency with Azula's story- that threat doesn't work if the kidnapped kids are being held off location. If Azula would be the one killing, then that means they must actually be here in this building.

Zuko drops Azula. While she's rubbing her throat, he shoots a sideways glance at Suki. The look she gives him indicates that she has caught the slip as well. Her hand lies covertly at her side as her fingers relay orders to her soldiers. "Suki," he orders, "I don't think the Kyoshi Warriors need to be here for this."

"Yes," Azula hums, "they really are killing the mood. You may leave."

There's an awkward pause as the Kyoshi warriors shuffle out. "Much more intimate," Azula declares once they've all left. "Now we can finally get on with the main attraction! Waterbender, would you please step forward."

Katara glances at Aang nervously. They all know exactly why Azula would be singling Katara out, and Zuko would never forgive himself if that were to happen. "It's the wrong order," he reasons. "You are supposed to be fighting me first."

Azula looks at him with complete surprise, as if what he had said was completely illogical. "Who said anything about _fighting_? Besides, one should always save the best for last. Now, remember, think of the children." She grabs Katara's shoulders and pulls her roughly from the group.

Azula's apparently very particular about where she wants Katara to stand. She's shuffling Katara from left to right, muttering something about "almost perfect" when Zuko feels a nudge from Suki. "My warriors found them," she whispers. Zuko grins. It's time to end this game.

"WHAT IS WITH MY FAMILY AND PROTECTING THIS FILTHY PEASANT?" Zuko turns in fear. Katara is standing alone on one side of the stage, Azula is standing _not alone_ on the other side. Ursa has inserted herself defiantly in between the two girls, unknowing that Azula had lost her leverage. Had being the key word, because Azula now has new leverage.

"Enough of this, Azula!" she scolds. "Don't bring this poor girl into your twisted games! I'm the one you want!"

* * *

A/N:

Well, the end of the quarter was rough. I should be able to finish the rest of this soon-ish now that spring break has started.

Updated the story description. I like it better than the old one, but still not quite happy with it.

Next chapter is going to be the scene that I've been waiting to write. This story was basically all backstory for that scene.

I finally decided what was going to happen to Azula at the end of this.


	6. Zuko

Azula shrugged. "Out of order, but this works too." Before anyone could react, Azula seized her mother's throat, nails digging into her skin. Ursa squirmed in vain, grasping at Azula's iron grip. Zuko clenched his fists- with the way they were positioned, there was no way to take down Azula right now without endangering his mother. They had been, so, so close to the finish line...

"I see the fear in your eyes," Azula hissed, pulling Ursa close so that their foreheads touched. "You can't stand the sight of your daughter, can you? Say it out loud. Tell everyone what a _monster_ your daughter is."

The princess released her hold on Ursa's throat, lightning now sparking around her hand. To Zuko's frustration, Azula was still positioned in a way that did not give Zuko a clear shot. Ursa gasped for breath before turning a withering gaze at her daughter. "Azula, you have always been a poorly behaved, petulant, arrogant girl. You are vicious, unforgiving, and have no shame. You have always tried too hard to be perfect at the expense of others."

Azula grinned. "Yes yes, keep going, mother. Tell your daughter what a bad girl she's been."

"...But I still love you. And you are not a monster."

Azula's face, which had previously worn satisfaction, filled with rage, and she grabbed her mother by the shoulders shaking her back and forth. "No! No more lies! That's what _she_ does." At this, Azula shot a glare in nobody's direction, before turning back to the real Ursa. "Tell the _truth_. Tell everyone how you wish I had never been born. I just need to hear it from your mouth, then I can finally rid myself of you forever."

Ursa shook her head fervently in denial. "I _am_ telling the truth. I _do_ love you.."

Azula cackled in disbelief. "No. I _know_ you are lying. I know it. I have never been more sure of _anything_. Do you want to know how I know you are lying?"

Ursa was caught speechless as Azula's calm facade continued to crumble. Finally, after an agonizing moment of silence, she managed to whisper, "why?"

To Zuko's shock, tears actually formed in Azula's eyes. "Because if you ever loved me, you wouldn't have let him do what he did to me."

Ursa scrunched her eyes in confusion. "Wha- what do you mean by that?"

"How don't you know?"Azula cried. "He started training me when I was three! Eight hours a day, for _years_! Father didn't have any responsibilities as second-born, so that was _all_ he did! And then he kept it at eight hours a day even after I started school! You had _years_ to notice! Did you ever bother to pay attention to me _once_ in my life?"

"Father didn't dress my burns! Father didn't ice my bruises! I had to reset my own shoulder when I was seven! Where were you for all that?"

By this point, Azula had started parading around the stage, voice becoming shrill, arms gesturing wildly as she yelled at her mother. However, Zuko was too shocked to move, and it seemed all his friends were in the same position.

"I stopped my own heart when he made me lightningbend! I _died_. Father had to shock my heart awake, and then he called me worthless and lazy because I couldn't do it right! I was _eight_! The youngest ever lightningbender before me was _fifteen_!"

"You say I try too hard to be perfect. How could I be anything _but_ perfect?"

"I don't know how to talk to boys. The only people I know how to talk to are twenty years older than I am! He made me a warrior, but I never got to be a _girl_." She pointed a finger at Ursa accusingly. "You were supposed to teach me! Why didn't you teach me?"

"That," she finished, "is how I know that you never loved me. So do me a favor for once in your life, and _admit it_."

"Oh, _Azula_ ," Ursa cooed, "I didn't know. I'm so so sorry I didn't know. Your father... he hid everything from me. And I didn't pry. I didn't ask what he was doing do you. I just _assumed_ that you _wanted_ the training. Because... because I feared him more than I loved you."

"I know I should've tried harder and I didn't. But I'm here now, Azula. I'm here now and your father isn't and I promise that I can be brave for you. Can you forgive me?"

Azula glared in silence, having no response. With no one talking, the spell that seemed to grip them all finally broke and Zuko moved to action, his hands flaring. "Mother, get away from her! The children are safe- she has nothing over us now!"

To his surprise, Ursa moved closer to Azula, her face resolute. "No... I meant what I said. She's still my daughter, and I haven't done a good job protecting her before. I _will_ protect her now."

Azula grinned widely, moving behind her mother. "Do you hear that, Zuzu? Mother's not going to let the mean big brother hurt the poor defenseless little sister. What are you going to do? Go through your mother to get to me? It's what father would do."

Zuko could only growl in response, but Mai butted in. "And what your father would do is always the right thing to do, isn't it? That's why you burned him, right? Because your father is _always right_. He was so _right_ that he lost his powers on the day of Sozin's Comet. What a lame Fire Lord- sorry, Phoenix King."

"Stay out of this!" Azula shot back. "What do you know about Fire Lords? You betrayed me! That throne was supposed to be mine!"

"NO!" Zuko's voice thundered. He noticed that the fake Kemurikage had returned, silently observing the scene. _'They want to see who's the rightful Fire Lord? Time to give them a show.'_

" _I_ am the Fire Lord. My word is law." He marched up to the stage, his body exuding confidence despite the lack of sleep. Even Azula seemed unsettled by the sudden change. He was aware that he looked much like his father right now- even if he didn't like it, it seemed to be working on his sister.

"You forget your place. I am your elder. You _will_ show respect to me." As he walked, a whirlwind of colored fire began to form at his feet. ' _Your blue fire isn't so special now, is it?_ '

"You have _nothing left_. You lied about the children, and they are safe. I have everything. I have the Avatar. I have your team. You try to use my mother against me, but you lack foresight. Because if _anything_ happens to my mother, I will have the Avatar do the same thing he did to our father, and then I will throw you in the deepest hole I can find." A wall of angry fire danced behind him, and Azula's arms had limply fallen to her side in wonder.

"But I am merciful," he said gently. "Despite your atrocities, you have not taken a life. If you surrender now, I will not seek retribution. Your life will be yours to do as you please in your station as princess, as long as you do act against me."

"Do you believe you can escape? You were always so good at predicting the outcomes. You know exactly how this ends if you do not stop now."

The room was silent except for the occasional breath, as everyone waited to see what Azula would do. The princess only stood numbly,.

"Take the deal," came a solemn voice, and Azula's gaze turned to her former allies on the balcony.

"What? You promised me the throne!"

"No. _You_ promised to show the power of fear, of strength," began one. "You promised to destroy your enemies, and you have not fulfilled your promise."

Instead we see the power of compassion, of mercy," continued the other one. "We will stand behind _Fire Lord_ Zuko."

"If you wish for our support, you must demonstrate your devotion to your teachings," finished the first one, "beginning with your mother."

The cloaked figures stood on their perch, while Zuko turned to his sister yet again. "It's over, Azula! You can't seize the throne without your Kemurikage, and you will lose your bending if you dare to hurt our mother. Surrender is your only option!"

Desperation had finally started to creep its way onto Azula's face. She lifted two trembling fingers directly at her mother's forehead, their eyes locking. "I do love you," Ursa whispered. "I know you aren't sure if you believe it. But I know you are sure that your father _never_ loved you."

After a long and tense silence, Azula closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Softly pushing her mother away, she dropped to her knees and elbows and declared, "I swear my fealty to you, Fire Lord Zuko."

…

"You may stand, Princess Azula."

Azula didn't respond, instead staying in her submissive posture. Zuko knelt down, taking her hands in his. "You may stand, sister," he whispered.

Azula rose back to her feet, and the two siblings gazed silently at each other. "So..." she asked hesitantly, "what happens now?"

Before Zuko could answer, they were interrupted with a shout. "Mommy!" The two looked to the doors to see Kiyi dashing towards the stage. Ursa ran to her second daughter and hugged her fiercely.

"Oh Kiyi! I am so glad you are safe! I was so worried!"

Zuko glanced at Azula, who seemed to be watching the scene wistfully. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed comfortingly, telling her, "Give it time. Sixteen years won't go away in one day. You'll be her perfect daughter some day, trust me."

"That's the thing," Azula replied. "I don't want to be perfect any more... Almost is good enough."

…

"So walk me through it again," Zuko requested. The two walked side by side as they made their way back to the palace. "What happened after you ran into the Forgotten Valley?"

"Well, as I told you, I stumbled around for a bit. I hallucinated my mother, and she kept telling me to embrace my destiny and that she loved me. Then I left the forest a week later, and stole an ostrich-horse from one of your search parties."

"And then you met the Fire Warriors."

"Correct. They told me they had been awaiting me. They said some stuff about how the nation was at a crossroads, and that I was key to how it would all play out. I, at the time, interpreted that as me retaking the throne."

"And then you came up with a complicated plan?"

"Oh, you _would_ think it's complicated," Azula joked, wagging her tongue. "Really, it was quite simple.

I wanted to get back at Mai, Ty Lee, father, mother, the peasa- Katara, and you. Tom-Tom and Suki are Mai and Ty Lee's weak spots. You always overreact- it would give me time to get to father. Mother's weak point was obvious. I suppose I should congratulate you on figuring out where I was hiding. I was sure I was going to have to give you a hint."

"So you thought you would be able to just get away with killing Katara, me, and mother? I can't imagine Aang would take that well, even with the fake threat of children."

"There's a passageway under the theatre. I was going to collapse the place and escape through there."

Zuko chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you are on our side now... you are on our side now, right?"

Azula shrugged. "As long as you don't mess up so horribly that I'm forced to seize control for the good of the nation... _relax_ , I'm kidding."

…

"I believe you. Are you happy now?"

"What?"

"Oh, I wasn't talking to you, Zuko."

"Then, who were- oh never mind."

...

"I'm sorry."

Azula looked at him in confusion. " _You're_ sorry? For what?"

"For being jealous. You were always better than me, and I blamed it on you being born lucky. But you trained for so much more time than I did- you deserved to be better. I'm your big brother- I should have been more supportive and watched out for you, but I didn't."

"You shouldn't feel guilty about that," Azula responded. "All that would have gotten you is scarred sooner. And I was... a terrible sister. There's no excuse for that. Let's just be glad father is out of the way."

"Did it feel good?"

"What?"

"Burning Ozai."

Azula snorted. "Oh that? I figured that was basically the most insulting thing I could do to father. You should have seen the look on his face when he realized he wasn't getting out. I'm rather proud of it. If an offense such as speaking out got you your scar, then grandfather should have given him one the day Lu Ten died."

"I remember that day," Zuko mused. "I've always wondered, why did you warn me? You could just have let father do what grandfather wanted him to do."

"Where did you get green and purple fire?"

"Hey, I asked first."

"So you answer first."

"That's not how this works."

"It works how I say it works.

"Brat."

"Jerk."

"Meanie."

* * *

A/N:

So I discovered I really like writing Zuko and Azula getting along.

I don't like how the whole Gaang shows up to this scene and then does basically nothing, but I couldn't figure out what I wanted them to do. Oh well.

Next chapter is tying up loose ends.

A/N 2:

Chapter revised 3/18- hopefully the transition doesn't feel as off as it did before, but there are probably still issues with it. I originally rushed this because S&S 3 got leaked, which was a mistake.


	7. Azula

Ikem was waiting for the group at the palace gates. The man shared the same haggard look that the rest of them did- a night that featured a kidnapped daughter and a disappeared wife would not allow him to sleep. He half-stumbled into a hug as he embraced Ursa and Kiyi, eyes closing both in relief and in rest. "Thank the spirits..." he murmured.

Azula awkwardly sidestepped past her stepfather, sensing that there was no positive conversation to be had there, and continued through the palace gates. Despite wanting to stay for his mother, Zuko went in after Azula- there was technically still an apprehend-on-sight order on the princess, so letting her walk in alone was not a good idea. Mai and the Kyoshi Warriors followed suit.

...

The second person awaiting the group was Kei Lo, who surprised Zuko with a punch to the face.

"What the hell was that for?" Zuko shouted, rubbing his cheek. Suki stepped forward to restrain him, but Zuko signaled that he was fine.

"What do you think?" Kei Lo shot back. "Do you know how much danger you put my girlfriend in? She could have been killed!"

Zuko was about to give a reply, but Mai held him back, saying. "Let me handle this." Turning to Kei Lo, she told him, "I can take care of myself, hon. I'm a better fighter than you are, remember?"

After a moment, she hastily added, "But your concern is touching."

Azula had started to walk off again, so Zuko jogged up next to her. A smirk was on his sister's face, and Zuko only held out for a few seconds before asking, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Azula drawled. "It's just that you lost your girlfriend to a completely inconsequential peasant. That's a new low, even for you."

Zuko shrugged. "He might be better for Mai- I think our relationship might have been doomed given how messy our past is. Besides, I can't tell Mai who to love."

"Yeah you can," Azula retorted. "How do you think father got mother? His natural charms?"

"And look how that turned out for him," Zuko countered. "He was overthrown by one child, and had half his face melted off by the other."

"I suppose that's true," Azula agreed. "Oh well, we'll just have to get you a new girlfriend."

"Wha- that's not necessary."

"Maybe the water peasant. She seemed _awfully_ concerned when I hit you in our Agni Kai..."

"She already has a boyfriend!"

"Or maybe the fangirl. You spend all day with her, right? There's probably some attraction that's been building up..."

"She has a boyfriend too!"

"I mean, if I were to fake-assassinate you, they would probably run straight into your arms..."

"AZULA!"

…

"Azula!"

Azula flinched. ' _Shut it out_ ,' she thought, ' _shut it out..._ '

Two hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders, and Azula startled in surprise. "Oh..." she mumbled, "you're actually here."

"Azula! I called your name five times! Were you so deep into meditation that you didn't hear me?"

"No, I've been... erm... I've been practicing ignoring your voice."

"What... why would you do that?" Ursa asked.

"...I don't want to talk about it."

…

"Azula, I'm busy right now. Wait, wait, you actually might be useful here."

"Well, of course I'd be useful, dear brother. And since I'm such a good sister, I'm willing to extend my help."

Zuko gave Azula a look of exasperation and sighed. "Well, basically I'm wondering what to do with Ukano. He committed treason, but then again, he was just your minion and here you are with more or less a full pardon."

"Well, it's not like he has the bargaining position I had when you made your offer to me- don't give me that look Zuzu- so I would say off with his head. You do want to get back at Mai, don't you?"

"Wha- I don't... You know what, I'll let him off with a warning this time, just because it's basically the opposite of what you just said."

...

"I don't trust you."

"Mhmm."

"I still can't believe that you managed to convince Zuko that he's safe around you."

"Mhmm."

"I've got my eye on you. I beat you before, and I can do it again."

At this, Azula sighed and put down the scroll she was reading. "Yes, I've been meaning to thank you for that."

Katara reacted with surprise. "You wanted to... thank me for beating you? Uh, it's nice for you to show some humility, I guess?"

"Of course," Azula replied. "Our duel made me realize that I'd fallen complacent in my training. I can now fire lightning with minimal need to move my fingers, which means I can still kill you even if you freeze me in a block of ice."

"...Yeah, I really don't trust you."

…

"Where will you go now?"

"My my, so eager to get rid of me, dear brother? I didn't know you felt so unsafe around me. I personally was thinking that I could oversee your foreign policy."

Zuko chuckled. "And have you restarting the war? I don't think I want our foreign policy to be threats, assassinations, and coups."

Azula put on a puppy-dog face. Zuko was not swayed. "Okay, fine. I was thinking about joining the Fire Warriors. They are probably the most competent firebenders, besides me of course, that I have ever met."

Zuko smiled. "I'm... actually happy to hear that. I think they could be good for you. And you aren't... bothered about them turning on you?"

Azula shrugged. "Eh, they saved me from mountains of paperwork and having to be diplomatic. I think I'd rather let you be bored out of your mind."

…

"Okay, I believe you. Will you _please_ go away now?"

Ursa was about to knock on the Azula's door but held back, not sure whether or not the princess had company already.

"Yes, I heard you the thousand other times you said that."

Well, it seemed like she was talking to herself again (the palace servants had noted that propensity). Azula saw her in the mirror when Ursa opened the door, and she muttered, "Well, there's two of you now, so I suppose one of you is real. What are you doing here, mother?"

"I... I thought you might like to join me for lunch today?"

Azula snorted. "I figured that my dining alone would be an indicator that I would not wish such a thing."

"Well, it's just that..." Ursa said, fidgeting nervously, "I was talking with Iroh"- Azula's eyes narrowed in disgust- "and he said that you might not mind your, um, visions if we got along better."

Azula sighed. "I would normally be loathe to follow any advice that comes from him. But I am rather at my wit's end at the moment, so I am willing to entertain his foolish notions."

A wide grin seized Ursa's face and she grabbed her daughter's hands with her own warm ones, pulling her from the room.

…

Another knock on her door. Azula sighed, getting up from her meditation and opening her door. To her surprise, it was not her mother there, but rather Suki. "Hmm, I suppose you are here to tell me what a terrible person I am?"

Suki shook her head. "No, it's not that... you said that you'd never gotten to be a girl. I asked Ty Lee, and... well, I'm here to show you how to do your hair!"

Azula stood dumbfounded. "I feel like neither of us trusts the other enough for that to happen. Aren't you worried about what I might do?"

Suki shrugged. "Eh, if you were planning on killing me, you would have done it already. You've had your chances."

Azula scoffed. "That's a terrible reason. I chose not to kill you for completely tactical reasons."

"Yeah, okay. So, here's how you do a topknot..."

…

"The Fire Warriors are leaving tomorrow."

"I assume you are going to leave with them?"

"That would be correct. I've probably overstayed my welcome anyways."

"Well," Zuko chuckled, "Maybe that wouldn't be the case if you hadn't threatened the Avatar, the Water Tribe leaders, and the stability of the peace we've worked so hard for."

Azula snorted. "I'm pretty sure that Water Tribe snitch exaggerated on all those counts, brother. You should do some internal cleaning if you have advisors like that."

"Well, whatever the case," Zuko replied, moving from behind his desk to embrace his sister, "these past weeks have been a lot more peaceful than I could have expected. You still have somewhat of a temper, but it's a lot better than what it was before. I think I can trust you with knowing how I got my colored fire."

Azula's eyes widened in anticipation. "Well, go on."

"There's just one condition," Zuko continued. "There is another who knows of this secret. You have to let him accompany you to this place."

"Okay," Azula conceded. "Where is this place?"

Zuko grinned mischievously. "Ask Iroh."

"You suck."

* * *

A/N:

So S&S 3 got leaked 2 weeks ago, which means I technically didn't finish this in time. Knowing what happened made me not as gung-ho about finishing this. But I said somewhere that I was going to finish this by the end of March, so... yeah.


End file.
